Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or the musical The Music Man by Meredith Willson.

Author's Note: I didn't get many reviews for the last one, but I know this site was a little screwy for a while. This is a sort of bittersweet oneshot. The song is actually one of seduction, if you pay attention to the lyrics, so I played with that a little.

Sincere

How can there be any "sin" in sincere?
Where is the "good" in goodbye?

"You're leaving?"

It isn't really a question. Even as she says the words, Katara is watching Aang adjust the reins on Appa's horns, and there can be only one reason for him to do that.

"I have to," Aang answers, not pausing in his task. "There are still a lot of details of the peace to work out, and I need to be there."

"Couldn't you wait a couple of days? Maybe Sokka and I can come with you," Katara offers, knowing already what the answer will be. Aang is now fully trained and can handle anything that comes at him. It isn't worry that motivates her but the fact that she will miss him.

"You need to spend time with your family and tribe," Aang argues.

"You're family, too," Katara points out, wondering how many times she will have to repeat this.

"Yeah, but I've had you guys almost to myself for nearly a year. The rest of your tribe needs you now, and you've earned some time off."

"And you haven't?" she challenges.

Your apprehensions confuse me, dear,
Puzzle and mystify.

"No rest for the Avatar," he remarks in a light tone. After saying this, however, Aang finally turns fully toward her, and the raw hunger in his eyes is so intense that Katara falls back a step and sucks in a sharp breath.

Now, she understands. Though his arguments are reasonable, it is her honor that most concerns him. She doesn't really blame him for this. She knows that she would not resist him for long, if his self-control ever lapsed.

Just marry me and get it over with! a part of her wants to scream. However, she knows that he can't, not yet. They are both still quite young, and Aang does have important things to do around the world. Katara knows without him telling her that he wants to be reasonably sure that he can devote his attention to her before taking that step. In addition, she suspects that he wishes to give her a secure world as a wedding present. She wants to tell him that she doesn't need it, that all she wants is him, but she knows that isn't fair to anyone. In a way, this is like his own unique manhood ritual.

"At least let me give you a proper goodbye," she calls instead, feeling her heart already pounding with anticipation. Aang doesn't need to be invited twice, and he jumps down. Almost before his feet have landed completely on the snow, they are in each others' arms, their mouths and bodies pressing against each other in an expression of passion they rarely allow themselves. They are trying to drink in each other's essence, not knowing how long it will have to sustain them.

Tell me, what can be "fair"
In farewell, dear,
While one single star shines above?

"I love you," Aang whispers when they have transitioned from the kiss into a tight embrace. The combination of the words and his breath on her ear makes Katara shiver.

"I love you, too," she answers him. After this, they seem to have no more words, but then again, they don't really need them.

The entire tribe comes to see the Avatar off on his journey, including Master Pakku and the other visitors from the North Pole. Everyone keeps a respectful distance from Katara and Sokka, however, in deference to the special relationships they have forged with Aang. Katara knows that she doesn't fit in here anymore. Thinking back, maybe she never really did. There are many reasons she still believes that Aang being frozen in the iceberg for 100 years was meant to be, and her intense love for him is one of them. She feels her brother's hand on her shoulder, and she allows him to pull her into a hug while Appa takes off.

"He'll be back," Sokka assures her.

"I know," she says simply, continuing to gaze at the sky until Appa has completely disappeared from view.

How can there be any "sin" in sincere?
Aren't we sincerely in love?

--

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Avatarwolf, Strix Moonwing, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, and honorary member SnakeEyes16.

Author's Note: I hadn't intended to post this one so soon, but it kind of insisted on being written, so I figured I might as well let people read it. There will be an eventual sequel to it.

Review responses:

MormonMaiden: Well, I'm glad it made you think. I realize that the last chapter asked more questions than it answered.

Justcallmewolfy: I intentionally left a lot of things about the last one open-ended so that readers could draw their own conclusions, but I was at least indicating that Zuko never got the approval of his father that he had always been seeking.